Marco Rubio Targets Colombian Immigrant Over Political Criticism

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Beto Coral’s criticism of a presidential candidate in Colombia undermines U.S. foreign policy. Coral, known as a progressive influencer, was detained by immigration authorities this week.

Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, commonly referred to as Beto Coral, is a supporter of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Coral has openly criticized Abelardo De La Espriella, a candidate backed by former President Trump. He was detained in Phoenix, coinciding with Rubio’s memo claiming Coral’s actions in the U.S. were grounds for deportation.

According to the memo obtained by The New York Times, Coral entered the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa and has a pending asylum application. Rubio claimed Coral’s political activities supporting the Petro government while in the U.S. posed a threat to American foreign policy.

“Allowing Coral Garrido to remain in the United States,” Rubio stated, “undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes and signals that foreign nationals may use U.S. platforms for politically motivated actions without consequence.”

Rubio’s current memo follows a year of similar actions wherein he leveraged his position to recommend deportations of immigrants, particularly those opposing U.S. foreign policy. His efforts have frequently targeted individuals involved in protests against Israeli policies, including Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil.